It's been four weeks since we found out our little girl was, well, a little girl! It was an exciting day for our family and we were so happy to know just WHO we'll be meeting in January! We had our regular monthly visit yesterday, and it was a great, happy visit! The quick details:
Weight Gained: THREE POUNDS!! Woo-hoo! I have finally gained back what I lost plus three pounds. And, I have gained those three pounds since my last visit, which means now I should continue to climb the scale at a normal rate. Special thanks to Krispy Kreme, Nestle Tollhouse Cookies, 3 gallons of milk in 3 weeks, Ranch dressing, and sharp cheddar cheese for making those three pounds possible!
Belly Measurement: 23 cm; I'm really not sure what the typical fundal height is at 21 weeks, but Dr. Ray said I measured perfectly!
Maleah's Heart: Pounding away at 146 tiny beats per minute
Other things going on over the last four weeks:
Achy Back: I know, I know - "You're pregnant, of course your back hurts." Well, it's to the point that my back hurts so badly at night that I have a hard time sleeping because I can't get comfortable. Dr. Ray said it would be perfectly fine for me to take Tylenol PM at night! Best news yet!
General Aches & Pains: I don't take medicine very often unless it's necessary, especially for pain. If I have a headache, I try to take a quick nap or drink some caffeine before I decide to take pain medicine. Last Saturday, I took my first dose of Tylenol since being pregnant!! I hadn't even realized that I hadn't taken anything until I went to the medicine cabinet and had to refresh my memory of what I can and cannot take. I took two Extra Strength Tylenol before walking around the quad and going to the game. I honestly often just forget that medicine is an option. I took three pills with me to the game and completely forgot about taking them - and complained of an achy back the whole time! This Saturday, I'll be more prepared!!!
Movement: Around week 17, I started noticing regular "flutters." Her first movements felt like bubbles popping or something tapping the wall of my stomach. Her kicks have been stronger in the last week and a half and she's already done some pretty crazy stuff! I've felt movement in two places at once a few times - apparently she's got her hands and feet moving in sync! She is usually more active in the mornings, after I eat, and after I've been particularly active. She hasn't moved strongly enough to wake me up at night or to keep me from falling asleep, but she does like to dance around on my bladder!! Other people can feel her, too! She kicks hard enough that if you catch it in time, you can feel her from the outside. Blake has felt her several times and my mom felt her for the first time last night. Arnold has yet to feel her, although I'm waiting for the moment when he is laying his head on my belly and his sister gives him a swift kick to the nose... for all the times he's jumped on my tummy!!!
Symptoms: Other than the crummy backaches, I really can't complain! I haven't had to take a Zofran in about 2-3 weeks, my appetite is steady (I'm basically hungry every 2 hours), and I am SO much more energetic than I was in the first trimester! I have needed a quick nap after work most days, but thankfully 20-30 minutes does the trick. Since I've also stopped needing Zofran, the side effects of that drug have also worn off. If you've ever taken it, I'm sure you know what I'm referring to... :)
Cravings: The only real thing I "crave" is Subway sandwiches and milk. Just smelling Subway makes me want a six-inch turkey on honey oat, toasted with provolone, spinach, jalepenos, black olives, pickles, spicy mustard, oil and vinegar. Yum-o! Lunch meat is supposed to be a no-no in pregnancy, but Dr. Ray said as long as I heat it, it's fine to eat. So, I eat plenty of it. :) I have always loved milk, but I'm drinking a lot more of it to help add calories to my diet. A glass at dinner, a bowl of cereal with plenty of milk before bed, a half-caf latte or hot chocolate. Mmmmmmilk. It's so good.
Aversions: Lately I do not want to cook chicken. I have eaten it at restaurants, but I'm really grossed out by the sight of raw chicken. Still not a huge fan of pork, although the thought of it doesn't make my stomach turn anymore. My sweet tooth is making a slow return - I've been able to eat cookies, drink hot chocolate, and I think I had a bowl of ice cream at some point.
Prepping for Baby: Now that we know she's a girl, we've been working on our registries and getting her nursery ready. My mom bought Maleah's crib and it will be delivered next week! Thanks, Mom!! Blake's mom is refinishing and reupholstering an antique rocking chair and she is starting on it this weekend! Thanks, Susan!! My aunt Tammy ordered Maleah's adorable bedding. Thanks, Aunt Tammy!! We also received a really nice swing, a bouncy seat, a bunch of cute little hair bows, and a car seat with two bases!! All from people passing down things they don't need anymore, which is such a blessing! We've bought her a few outfits and we've been given some outfits, too! I'm ready to get her nursery set up in the next couple of months... just so I can sit in it and anticipate her arrival!
New Cousins: Maleah's newest cousins have now all been born! Lucy, Dylan, Keasler, and Presley have now all arrived and are setting the "cute" standards pretty high!! Dylan and Keasler have already done plenty to prepare me for motherhood - I fed Dylan (and got spit up on - yay!) and I've changed Keasler's diaper twice now (Holly says I'm really slow at it, so I'll have to practice some more to pick up the pace!!). They are all such precious little babies and I'm so glad Maleah will have cousins her age! My cousins and I were more like siblings and I hope she can spend plenty of time with her cousins while we are still living close enough to do so!
Well, this is more than I intended to write... that seems to happen when I start talking about Maleah. :) Just four months and six days to go before her due date!!!
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